Face guard or mask



April 10, 1928. 1,665,386

I. G. WALMER ET AL FACE GUARD OR MASK Filed Feb. 21, 1924 2a 'i'j' 7INVENTORS 27 Mfl '&lf% 4w 1 y Meir attorngv.

Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

- insane IRVING G. WALMER AND JOHN A. SAWYER, 0F ALBANY, NEVT-YORK.

FACE GUARD QR MASK.

Application filed February 21,1924. Serial No. 694,383.

Like figures of reference refer to like parts. I j

This invention relatesto face guards or masks for football and otherplayers One of the objects of this inventlon 15 to provide a light,strong and tough face guard, one which will be of simple construction,covering only such portions of theface, as is necessaryfor the purposesof guarding the same from blows.

Another object is to provide a sheet metal guard, preferably of onepiece of metal, to avoid projections of rivet heads and edges of lappedpieces, which would make the surfaces of the guard uneven, when coveredwith a thickness of leather or cloth.

Another object is to provide a sheet metal face guard having guard armsreceding from above and below the nose guard portion, having the armsbendable at their junction with the nose portion, so as to be conformedto variousshaped faces and heads, and thus reduce the number of sizesrequired to supply the need of players, and at the same'time giving theplayer an opportunity of ad usting the guard to the shape of hls ownface, both for comfort and protection in dlstrlbuting a blow over agreater area of contact on the head.

A further object is to provide with a face guard, an elastic band forretaining the lower part of the guard in position, having the bandengage the back of the neck and by its elasticity, yield to themovements of the head, while holding the guard against the face.

With these and other objects, our invention resides in certainconstruction, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings,its formation and use are hereinafter described and what we claim is setforth.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a face guard embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical mid-sectional elevation of the guard shown inFigure 1. I

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing theformation of the nose portion of the guard.

Figure 4 is a section of a lower arm of the guard taken on the line 44of Figure 2 Figure 5 is a section taken on the llne 55 of Figure 2.

In the figures, the nose guard portion 6 is shown to merge into aforehead guard length by means of a buckle 14. A strap 15,

adapted to pass over the top of the head, to

engage the strapfl13, and support the guard, has a loop 16'through whichthe strap 13 passes,- and hasfanother loop 17 engaging the slot 18, atthe top of the forehead guard portion 7;" Jaw guard arms 19and20,fintegral with. the mouth guard portion 8, eX- tend rearwardlyand'are inclined upward to follow the course of the j aw bone. The ends21 of the arms 19 and 20 are slotted to engage the looped ends 22 of theelastic neck band 23. A month piece 24 of rubber, having breathing holes25, is secured to the mouth guard portion 8, passing through a slottherein. Holes 26 are provided in the nose guard portion 6.

The nose, temple, mouth, jaw and chin guard arms and portions of theface guard are preferably of one piece of sheet metal, as of aluminum,and can easily be stamped therefrom. This metal is preferably of abendable nature, so that where the temple and jaw guard arms 10 and 11,and 19 and and 20, meet the forehead and mouth portions 7 and 8,respectively, at '7" and 8*, the same can be bent by the wearer, toadjust them to the width of his head and jaw.

The sheet metal part 27, of the face guard, has a covering 28, ofleather, cloth or rubher. Leatherv covered padding 29 is provided on theoutside of the guard. A soft felt band 30 is secured to the forehead andtemple guard portions, on the inside, for contact- With the head.

The face guard illustrated and above described is of simple constructionand has been found in use to give ample protection to the face and headof the wearer. Metal is used in such a way as to offer no injuriousfeatures to either the wearer or his fellow players, in a game; in fact,the metal is used for rigidity and strength, in a manner to protect boththe wearer and player coming in contact with him. The neck band 23,being elastic, full freedom of movement of the head is had without inany way affecting the position of the guard or mask, when properly puton. The use of the mouthpiece 24, is commonly known, and can be used ornot, as desired. a j

The construction of our invention is such as to be of a comparativelylow cost of manufacture, which will appeal iniprice to amateur, as wellas to college players of football, hockey or other outdoor games, wherea face guard is needed, p p j Inasmuch as changes in the construction ofthe guard, as illustrated and described, can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of ourinvention, we do not thereof hereinreferred to,

We claim: j j 1. In a face guard having a continuous sheet metal frame,port ions tosaidframe inwish to be confined to the one embodimenteluding forehead, nose, temple and jaw guard portions, said temple'andsaid jaw portions being of strip formation, formin horns, projectingindependently, rearwar having a clear unobstructed space between saidjaw portions and said temple portions,

thruou't their length, means for holding said "horns to the head of thewearer, and other means for supporting said frame from the top of thehead of the wearer.

2. In a face guard, the combination of nose, temple, mouth and jaw guardportions, bendable where said temple and jaw portions connect, with saidnose portion, said temple and jaw port-ions extending each in hornlikeformation, rearwardly, the ends of said temple Vand jaw portions beingfreely spaced from one another, whereby said portions can bereadilyangularly bent to conform to the width of the head and jaw of thewearer.

3., A face guard comprising a continuous sheet metal frame of one piece,having guard portions for the nose, the forehead,

mouth, temples, jaw and chin, said jaw portions projecting freely likehornsand recedingindependent of any connection withthe portions otherthan the .chin and mouth portions from said mouth and-chin portions toincline upwardly, a covering to said metal frame, pads fixed to theoutside of the same and means for supporting saidframe upon the head ofthe wearer. j IRVING G.

JOHN A. SAWYER.

